This invention relates to bedrail assemblies, and, more particularly, to a sheet metal bedrail and its connection to the headboard of a bed.
Bed frames for supporting a mattress and box springs generally include a pair of spaced siderails which are connected at one end by a crossrail and at the other end to the headboard of the bed. The crossrail and siderails of most bed frames are formed of relatively heavy steel plate in the shape of an angle iron. These prior art bed frames provide good support for the mattress and box springs but are relatively heavy and can be difficult to move with the added weight of the mattress and box springs when the bed is assembled.
Bed frames having lightweight, sheet metal bedrails have been proposed, such as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,210,780 and 2,947,999. In these designs, the bedrails are formed from a thin gauge section of sheet metal having a longitudinally and vertically extending center web section with rectangular shaped beads extending longitudinally along its edges. A steel plate formed with outwardly extending hooks is adapted to mount at one end of the bedrail where it is secured to the center web portion and the beads by spot welding. The hooks extend beyond the web and beads, and are adapted to mount over pins embedded within a slot formed in the front side of each leg in a standard headboard.
The sheet metal bedrails described above are considerably lighter than the angle irons used in other bed frame constructions, but have sufficient compressive strength to withstand downward loads applied by the weight of the mattress and box springs, and persons using the bed. However, the hook elements which mount the bedrail to the headboard in the '780 and '999 patents increase fabrication costs and do not permit mounting of the bedrail to the exterior or outer side of the legs of the headboard. As disclosed in such patents, the hook elements are connected to a plate which mounts to the bedrail. The plate is first forced between the web portion and a flange formed on each bead of the bedrail, and are then spot welded to the web portion and beads. The separate assembly and welding steps needed to mount the hook elements in place add to the fabrication costs of the bedrail. In addition, the hook elements are conventionally adapted to mount over pins embedded in a slot formed in the front side of each headboard leg. Therefore, the bedrail designs such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,947,999 and 3,210,780 are not adapted to mount to the exterior side of headboard legs, but only to the front side of the legs of the headboard.